The Alvis Field and Cotton Rust - Auburn, AL
Posted by: 
xptwo
N 32° 35.271 W 085° 28.980
16S E 642374 N 3606612
This marker tells the story of early work to solve the problem of cotton rust disease done by a professor at what is now Auburn University.
Waymark Code: WMH359
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 05/14/2013
Views: 11
The text of the marker reads:
In the late 1800s, J.P. Alvis and J.A. Cullars farmed this property which later became known as the "Alvis Field." They allowed Prof. F. F. Atkinson, a biologist at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama, to use this site to study cotton rust, a disease that causes cotton plants to shed leaves early. Atkinson's research in 1890 led to the discovery that cotton rust was caused by a potassium deficiency. As a result, the Cullars Rotation was started in 1911. Today, potassium fertilizers are used on cotton throughout the South.
Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission
and the Auburn Heritage Association
2006
Marker Name: The Alvis Field and Cotton Rust
Marker Type: Urban
Addtional Information::
The marker is located near the entrance to the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art on South College Street.
Date Dedicated / Placed: 2006
Marker Number: None
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Visit Instructions:
Please post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location. Also if you know of any additional links not already mentioned about this bit of Alabama history please include that in your log.